Songfics for Guardian Angel I and II by DesertedMirage
by ohgodofwriting
Summary: Songfics that DesertedMirage wrote for her stories, Guardian Angel and Guardian Angel: The Return. Read those before reading these accompanying songfics.
1. Explanation

My best friend, DesertedMirage wrote Guardian Angel ( s/4259364/1/Guardian-Angel) and Guardian Angel: The Return ( s/4900114/1/Guardian-Angel-The-Return). If you haven't read those two stories yet, prepare for your life to be changed. They are truly incredible. Through the process of her writing the story, we both wrote songfics for it. I published mine here already. She has published one of hers here ( s/4963063/1/A-Superhuman-Heart-Beats-in-Me). Two more she had written remained unpublished.

Tragically, DesertedMirage passed away 5 years ago.

I am sorry that you will not be privy to more of her incredible writing on this site. (Many of her original novels were posthumously published, however. www. StephanieReneeBellBooksAndMusic . com Be sure to check those out. Uh-mazing.)

Anyway, please read on to enjoy some of her previously-unpublished work.


	2. Falling Away With You

_Please listen to the song "Falling Away With You" by Human Worldwide while reading this._

_Story: Guardian Angel _

_Characters: Max and Nick_

Max moved into her suite with a slight bounce in her step. She was glad to be done with work for the day. The week had been long, with one mission after another. She smiled a little at the flashing photo of Nick on her phone. She hadn't seen his face in days, and he hadn't seen hers. It was a busy season for the black market, and they were only together on missions, in costume. It was all business.

After starting up her playlist on the sound-system, she slung a towel over her shoulder and headed for the shower, trying not to rush.

Max didn't bother to dry her shoulder-length, brown hair. It would get wet again soon anyway.

She pulled on a swimsuit, wearing board shorts and a shirt overtop. The phone was still flashing. She scooped it up and collapsed onto the bed, flipping it open to read the text.

_Bring dessert_

Crossing a leg over the other, she typed back, "What kind?"

His reply came after mere seconds that felt more like hours. She hated the playful pause he gave before answering simple questions. (Although she often did the same to him.)

_Whatever kind that goes best with cake_

Max rolled her eyes, smiling again.

"It will melt on the way." she sent in response.

Nick's next delay was even longer. Max sighed, knowing she shouldn't be so clingy. She was eager to see him, anxious to get away from the madness at the headquarters. He was the only normalcy she found in her new life.

She rose from the bed and left the room, tucking the phone into her pocket as the music floated behind her.

"Ice cream it is, then." she murmured while opening her refrigerator. After she had grabbed a couple of ice cream bars and stuffed them into a plastic nap-sack, her phone rumbled.

_That makes two of us_

As always, his romantic replies persuaded her to smile.

Max distantly hummed along with the song, now playing in her earphones. She was walking away from the mansion to the beach, overlooking the ocean. The beach was a bit of a secret hideaway, since her father was used to her spending her free time at the lake instead. But what he didn't know was that she did this on purpose. Her _real _retreat was at the ocean. Only Nick knew this.

As expected, a pair of fresh footprints trailed through the golden sand. Max was stepping alongside them, singing with the voice in her ears. There was an innocence in his sound. He was almost aching silently, his guitar strumming in the background. His tone was like a sweet surrender, a faithful promise. It reminded her of Nick.

The sun was dipping lower, spreading its honey glow across the beach. Over the eastern coast, the moon was beginning to rise.

Max paused, spotting the island on the horizon. It was only a short swim away, a small sand dune with a few thin trees. Smoke rose into the starry sky, a camp-fire flickered. She could see his silhouette, sitting against a tree. He always looked lonely when she wasn't with him.

Grateful for her waterproof music player and earphones, Max removed the outer layer of clothes, stuffed them into her bag, and stepped into the water.

"You're late." Nick poked fun when she arrived at the small shore, shaking the water from her hair.

Max laughed while dropping the bag near the tree. "You're early."

Nick smiled, wiggling the marshmallow he held over the fire on a stick. "Fair enough."

Max wiped her arms and patted at her hair with the towel he tossed her, still humming to the music.

"What is that?" Nick asked after a moment, his brow furrowed.

"Something I found online, it's old." she smiled, draping the towel over a tree branch.

"It's pretty. Share it." he gestured to the boom box next to him.

"Whatever," she chuckled. "Just don't make me sing along like you did the last time I brought my music."

"I can't make any promises." he grinned, turquoise eyes dancing.

Nick was quietly listening, and extended a hand after Max adjusted the volume. She accepted it and sat down in front of him, scooting back to rest against him. He slid his arms around her waist.

"I'm fallin' away...with you."

Max frowned when he sang along, then laughed while gently slapping his arm. "You knew it all along."

Nick smiled. "I just wasn't sure if that's what you were humming."

"Yeah, I'm kind of tone-deaf like that."

"Please," he laughed, denouncing her self-criticism. "I just didn't want to embarrass myself."

Max's eyes rolled at his lie. "And yet, you could get fired if my father found out about your making a decoy signal for me when I'm really here," she contested with a sly grin, ruffling his brown curls. "You, Axis, his trusted overseer who's _supposed _to be keeping me in line."

Nick laughed warmly, his voice close to her ear. "Well, I'm willing to risk it…so long as I get to wait for you here."

I came here to stay

"I'm falling away with you, I'm falling away." Nick sang along again. Max couldn't help but smile. He was a good singer, so much that she often asked him to sing for her. But she had to be careful, because he never let her get away without a request of his own.

"I'm falling away with you." she joined in.

Nick chuckled. "See?"

"I can't sing." she sighed. "Don't you love it here?"

Nick nodded. "Definitely. Certainly beats the rowboat, huh?"

Max laughed out loud, recalling the failed date where their boat filled with water. "True." she smiled.

Nick gave a quiet laugh. He loved to see her smile, to hear her laugh. It was rare when she did so. Here at the island, he believed that she was more herself, almost like the Max he met in Gotham almost four years ago. She spoke freely at the island, almost unaffected by the mind control at the headquarters.

"You know what?" mused Max.

"What?"

"Sometimes I think…" she hesitated.

Nick frowned. "What? Go on," he encouraged gently.

Max touched his hand atop her stomach, playing with his fingers. "I don't know. It just…feels like a different place, here," she smiled faintly, setting her head back on his shoulder. "Like…like we're drifting off, away from…everything else."

Nick considered, holding her tighter. "That it does."

Both were silent, until Max snickered. "Marshmallow's burnt."

"Wait, wait, wait." Nick reclaimed the stick after she swiped it.

"What?"

"Dinner first," he explained, rising to grab something from behind the tree. He reappeared with a picnic basket and checkered blanket. "Chicken marsala, your favorite."

Max confirmed with a nod. "But what's this about a cake?"

Nick grinned and reached back inside of the basket, withdrawing a chocolate cake.

"Store-bought?" Max arched an eyebrow in skepticism.

Nick shook his head as they sat across from each other on the blanket.

"Wow, I'm impressed."

The fire continued to glow, and they ate in silence as the mellow song played. The sun had completely set now, and blue moonlight rippled on the black water.

Nick had been singing along again, his voice trailing on the last line as he watched Max look away from him. Her expressive, hazel eyes were sad. For a moment, she looked the way she did when she was in the mansion - unhappy, trapped. Something inside of him ached. He knew what a battle it was for her to fight the serum, as well as the feeling of abandonment. He wanted to make her happy again, he was determined to do so.

What she didn't know was that he had been singing that song to her in his heart for as long as he had known her.

"I'm seeing you through." Nick sang softly, gazing at her.

Max shook her thoughts, rubbing the back of her neck with an apologetic smile. Her eyes shifted back to him. "The food was great. Thanks. You didn't have to invite me."

Nick smiled slowly. Just like that, she was back. He knew that he could be completely invisible to her at times, but he didn't care much. It was enough for him to just be there.

"And come here _alone?"_ he chuckled, then tossed his napkin and stood up. "A dance?" he proposed, offering his hand.

Max smiled again, giving her hand and stepping into his embrace.

In a small circle, they danced, Nick singing the words aloud as Max hummed them in her heart.


	3. No Air

_Please listen to the song "No Air" by Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown while reading this._

_Story: Guardian Angel (Part 2)_

_Characters: Max ("India") and Terry_

_"Terry, promise me something."_

_"Anything."_

_"If we ever part, if we ever get separated...we'll come back here."_

Terry stood alone, as always. The trees reached up to the sky, green leaves sheltering the ground below. There were clouds above, but the sun was shining. He slid his hands into his pockets, face tilted downward. He wished that she was there to see it with him.

It was surreal when Max arrived at the forest. It had been four long years since she had seen it. The old, weather-beaten swing remained, the ropes shifting delicately in the breeze. It was so lonely, being there without him. She closed her eyes, memories resurfacing of sitting safe in his arms beneath the trees, making promises that reality would snatch away.

The man she danced with the night before...was it a dream? He came out of nowhere, as an answer to her every prayer. She ached to believe that he was real, that he was alive.

Max sat on the dirt floor of the forest, her fingers touching a dandelion. She didn't know what was true or false anymore; her mind was weary from the torment.

No, he was simply a shadow of her imagination. He was dead, although his memory was so real she felt she could hear his laughter in her ears, his scent in her nose. She shivered, hugging herself.

Gathering a breath, Terry walked slowly, approaching the getaway...their getaway. He had held to his promise, coming every day, at first. But when reality began to sink in, it had declined to once a week, once a month. He cursed himself for giving up on Max. He didn't know what to do. India...she seemed so much like her, her persona, her laugh, her smile. He sighed, remembering how those striking eyes had halted when they rested upon him. He bent his head in guilt. It was only a dream. Bruce had confirmed it. He had turned down the invitation to the ball and stayed at home.

But still...India was there, in his arms, dancing with him, haunting his dreams the way Max did.

Max sat in the serenity of the forest, cross-legged and looking up at the streaming sunlight. A smile at the corner of her lips. She tried to picture what he would do here, what he would say. As much as she had forgotten of him, a knowledge, a sense of him remained. She couldn't even remember his name, but that mattered not to her. All she needed was to know that she was in love him. Although she was usually content with it, with knowing that she had his love, something was different today. Now, she wanted more. She wanted to see the face she used to sketch in her room, the drawings that had been burned by her kidnappers upon discovery. She wanted to remember the name she once wrote every day, to combat the serum. It was no longer enough to dream about him and guess, she wanted to _see_ him.

She swallowed. It was overwhelming, being back without him. A warm tear trailed from her eye. Running away from the headquarters was pointless. She had nothing left to run to.

A sound behind her, a footstep. Or was it the whispers of the trees? No, it was real. Without looking, she knew that she wasn't alone. Max sat paralyzed. If she turned, there might not be anyone there. She would have to live with the disappointment all over again. She didn't move. It was better to just believe the lie; it was better than being heartbroken.

But someone spoke from the stillness, challenging her senses.

"Max..."

Terry didn't know how he had spoken. His mouth was dry, heart ceased. But she was there. This time, she was there.

Max felt suffocated with emotion. Her real name...she hadn't heard it in years. He was the only one who knew her as "Max" anymore. Either he was standing behind her, or she was dreaming again. Swallowing, Max turned, moving against every fear that commanded her thoughts.

Standing with an astonished look on his face was a young man with jet-black hair, framing his face and falling over his brow. The eyes struck like lightning. Her heart galloped. Memories...so many that she couldn't catch them all. His arms wrapped around her, walking back from the theater, a confession of love, an argument, flying above Gotham, taking a bullet for him...

Max's first instinct was to run into his arms, but something stopped her.

"Max," Terry spoke again, barely above a whisper. The girl before him was India, and yet, she was Max. He knew it was her, without a doubt. He didn't care how or why, but Max was alive, as he had always dared to believe.

Max was torn. Everything inside of her told her to run to him, but they had been separated for a reason. She could barely remember why, but she knew that she couldn't be with him. It would kill him.

If she left, he would follow. But she would do anything to save his life; she had done so once before already. Would she ever see him again? Could she live without him again? As much as had been stolen from her memory, she knew that she had only been breathing for the past four years, not _living_. But if he died...no, she couldn't bear the thought. She always knew that she would die for him, even if it meant staying alive without him. Both lives were equal to death.

She had to run.

Terry swallowed as he continued to gaze at her. She hadn't moved. She sat staring, blankly, as though in total shock. At first, he worried that she didn't recognize him, but the glaze over her eyes belied that she knew him. All he really cared about was that she was okay. Anything else was irrelevant.

Terry took a step forward. Her eyes widened, her head shook slightly. Her lips began to murmur something, but she stopped. Then, in an instant, she was on her feet, tearing off in the opposite direction.

Max pounded off into the woods, weaving in and out of the trees. The rays of sunshine sliced through the leaves, and the roar of a river crashed ahead. She could hear him behind her, desperately calling her name. He was chasing her, just as she knew he would. With the only thought in mind of saving his life, she willed her legs to run faster. But where was she going? The only way to lose him was the river...but would he jump after her? She didn't know if her plan was to jump in and swim off with the current, or drown. Did death even matter anymore? She needed to know what would benefit him, but failed to reach a conclusion.

She couldn't outrun him, not even with all of her training. She would simply jump, and all else was up to fate. The cliff was swiftly approaching. Hanging about thirty feet over the raging river, surviving a jump from the edge would be a miracle.

The drop-off inched into view, and he was drawing closer now. Exerting all of her strength, Max ripped off her coat and came to a sudden stop. Her lungs burned for oxygen; she ignored them. Hearing his racing footsteps behind her, she only paused for a second before bounding off of the cliff.

Without a second thought, Terry had jumped after her. The white waves approached, the wind stung his face as he hit terminal velocity. He wasn't going to lose her again. Not even the raging river could snatch her away from him.

Max crashed into the river with a loud splash, instantly blacking out for a few seconds upon impact. When she came to, she was still underwater, and caught a warped glimpse of the sun through the murky water. Before she could swallow any more water, she held her breath. The engaged river tossed her around like a toy, pushing her to its surface or swallowing her under whenever it so desired. Staying conscious became a task, and her mind began to wander as darkness clouded her thoughts. Through whirlpools, tumbling down falls, she struggled for air. What she hadn't remembered, though, was what lay ahead: the waterfall.

It was only when the river moved Max up to its surface that she heard the horrific rushing of tons of water being dumped below. It came as a deafening rumble, confirming that she was going to die.

The cascade neared. Max desperately searched the disappearing edge ahead for a rock or bush of some sort, anything to cling to. She squinted to see. Something extended over the edge, a black mass of twisted branches from a fallen tree. Would it hold her?

Trying desperately to keep afloat so that she could see clearly, she was only feet away from the rock. With great effort, she managed to swim in the direction of the branch.

In no time, she was thrust over the edge of the falls. Her arms clung to the branch, and she swung so much that she thought she might fall. But she held on as tightly as she could, although not knowing what to do next.

After a moment, Max's muscles began to quiver. She was exhausted. She couldn't hold on much longer. One of her arms dropped and dangled, her strength was failing. Now holding on with one hand, the branch began to teeter with her weight. Barely, she could hear her name being called.

He had jumped after her.

Not only was she losing her grip, but also consciousness. The battle was against her strength and lack of oxygen. If she closed her eyes, she would fall to the mercy of the jagged rocks below. And yet, this was the consequence; she knew she was going to die.

The branch heaved. With a sigh and prayer that his life would somehow be spared, Max allowed her eyes to shut. Her fingers released the branch.

But a hand clasped her wrist.

With all of his remaining strength, Terry pulled her up to where he was crouched on the trunk of the tree. One arm secured around her waist, he searched the area for a branch to reach the banks. Spotting a low-hanging tree to his right, he judged that he could make the leap. With determination and the last of his energy, he grasped the branch and swung to safety on the banks.

Coughing from swallowing so much water, he stumbled and crawled, carrying Max and gently setting her on the ground.

"I almost lost you again, Max." Terry whispered as he held her limp body tightly in his arms.

Max began to cough and come-to. Opening her eyes, sunlight and trees slowly came into focus. Someone was holding her. He had survived.

"Terry." she whispered the name without having to struggle for recollection.

Terry drew away some when he heard her speak. Gently, he brushed a strand of hair out of her face, but paused when he saw the necklace around her neck. After all of the years, she had kept it, just as he had kept hers. Terry touched the pendant, and their eyes met.


	4. Tattoo

Please listen to the song "Tattoo" by Jordin Sparks while reading this.

Story: Guardian Angel (Part 2)

Character: Max

The same song's been at the top of my playlist for weeks now. I've started to grow tired of it, but today it assumes a whole new meaning. Today I'll do what's been in my mind to do for years...ever since my heart accepted that he was gone. I don't care that they've done it on purpose, tearing him me. I don't care, because their only victory would come in defeating my love for him. But not today.

My lips distantly mouth the lyrics, daring to sing them out loud, even, when I leave the listening walls of the mansion. Their eyes are ever on me. But today, I'm leaving the country. A vacation, as my father reluctantly put it. He's sending me off to the country of my choice. I want to feel grateful toward him, but the wound he's given me is still open, unhealed. He said it was to protect me, my kidnapping. I wish I can believe him, but I trust no one anymore.

I play the song again during my flight. I was angry at myself for accepting it, Terry's death. But that was a long time ago. Now, I'm determined to fight for him, even though he's gone. He would want me to live, to be happy.

But I'm not sure. The lyrics confuse me. Am I really leaving Terry behind by continuing to live? Is this being fair to him? My finger twirls away at my long, brown hair. Brown. Terry would get a kick out of that. It was he, after all, who encouraged the pink look. I sigh sadly, remembering his dancing eyes.

I frown out the window into the sea of clouds, softly repeating the uncertain lyric, "Sorry, but I have to move on and leave you behind."

I love every part of the song but that one. I don't want to think of living a normal life as denying my true love. But he would want me to keep going, wouldn't he? Am I failing him miserably by doubting my desires? I don't know much about what I want, I realize. My mind is often at odds with me. Swallowing back bitter tears, I curse their serums and subliminal methods to try to get me to forget him. My mind is stunted by their control, and all I'm really sure of is that I want to stay in love with him. My greatest fear is forgetting Terry.

I gave it all, as Batgirl. I pushed myself to new limits. With Terry's help, I became what was lying asleep inside of me. I smile while alighting the private jet. He was always my biggest fan, and my greatest hero. But I never got to tell him…

India. I'm here only for the tattoo artists; the ignorance of anything Gotham-related. Back at headquarters, they're only slightly tracking me (what trouble could I find in a foreign country?). I smile while picturing Axis at his computer, protectively watching my signal on the radar. Even while feeling the dance of butterflies in my stomach for him, I still often confuse his face with Terry's.

In the tiny, slightly putrid tattoo parlor, the artists rattle to each other in Hindi. At the HQ, I learned only enough of the language to get by for the short trip. Pausing my song, I show the design I've doodled to the wrinkled old artist. She examines it briefly, eyes showing no recognition whatsoever. Just as planned. I smirk to myself.

I secure my earphones, blocking out the noise in the parlor. I've quickly determined to play the song again as the needle traces beneath my skin. My pain tolerance may be high, but the sting is intense between my shoulders, just beneath my neck and in the center of my back. I close my eyes, letting my cheek rest atop my folded arms as the artist draws. I allow my thoughts to float wherever they wish, and this happens to be on Axis. I see his aurora-eyes, not dissimilar to Terry's ocean ones. I still don't know why I think they're eyes are so similar. I don't even know why he reminds me so much of Terry, in many ways. But Axis is so perfect, and I often feel I'm not ready for his love. But I don't want to play with his heart while I'm deciding. I wince as the needle sinks a little too deep.

I open my eyes, and Axis' face disappears. It's like a tug-of war of love, _my_ love. An invisible fight for my heart. A battle for my choice.

The line plays again when I go return to my hotel room. I try to ignore it this time, like I'm trying to ignore the ache in my back. I want it to hurt, though. I want the tattoo not just as a reminder, or a silent act of rebellion toward my father. No, I want it as a scar. Just like my heart, even when it heals, I'll forever be reminded of the pain. I want Terry's love to consume me like an ache of which I can never be rid. This way, even their serums can't pull me away from him.

I laugh dryly at myself when I study my back in the bathroom mirror, the painful redness around the mark. It's not like I haven't already hurt enough over him.

Back at the HQ, I hide my tattoo well, whether I'm wearing an evening gown for an event or a tank for training. I use makeup, but every time I apply it, I secretly smile. I don't really care if they find out I've got it on my back. I debate telling Axis about it, though. I'm somewhat open to him about my feelings for Terry. I think he's come to learn that this is simply a part of me that must be accepted. He knows that he'll never fully capture my heart, because part of it will always be in the possession of my first love. I don't care that my heart is torn, just as long as part of me remains with Terry.

Years have passed now, and the redness is gone. The tattoo is painless, and so is my heart. The agency was exposed, their masquerade ended. Terry was alive, and he constantly reminds me of how he never gave up on me.

I lay on my stomach, lazily out-stretched on the swing. I'm on the back porch of Wayne Manor, _our_ manor. We're married now, determined to live and die together. My ears perk up. Terry has just come home from work, I hear him moving through the house. I watch the fading sunset, but I sense him standing still at the door, watching me. I don't move or speak. I'm just glad to have him home.

He smiles and walks over, lightly swinging himself to lounge behind me. Propping himself on one arm, he stares down at me. Neither of us speak, for silence has become a bit of a treasure. I feel his touch on my back, so slight that I shiver. I smile. Just like when he first saw the mark, he continues to have this crazy idea that it must still hurt.

Terry smiles a little, his finger tracing the form of the bat emblem on my back, the black tips of the wings and ears. I feel the warmth of his lips on my skin.

I'm no longer troubled by the lyrics to the song. I always knew who I wanted to win the battle for my heart, and I'm glad that he did.


End file.
